Chapter 145 Daughters of the Lord of Hyratos
The Lord of Hyratos quickly caught up, trailing behind Henry by half a body length, making it seem as if Henry were the host.
Upon entering the hall, Leo did not follow. The outer hall and the inner hall were separated by a door, and he stayed in the outer hall, his ears alert for any signs of trouble. If something went wrong, he would signal the team outside and rush in to protect Henry.
Inside the hall, a long table, about 9 or 13 feet in length, was placed in the center. Besides the maids, there were several noble ladies and a few young men and women standing beside it.
"Welcome, Lord Henry." The noble ladies and the young men and women bowed in respect.
Henry nodded. There was no need for a formal bow from those of a different rank.
"Lord Henry, these are my wives and children!"
The Lord of Hyratos gestured towards his family, intending to introduce them. However, judging by their attire, he decided against it. He couldn't afford to lose face.
"Okay." Henry said, pulling the catgirl beside him. "This is my companion, Mila."
The daughters of the Lord of Hyratos were envious. A female orc dressed better than them and with such a handsome noble as her companion.
Henry's appearance was like that of a prince charming from a fairy tale, completely matching their fantasies.
So, the daughters of the Lord of Hyratos kept casting flirtatious glances at Henry, much to Mila's annoyance. She hid her bad emotions and did not let Henry be embarrassed. And she focused on these shameless young ladies.
The Lord of Hyratos was a bit surprised and looked at Henry with a strange expression. Although the catgirl was beautiful, was it necessary to bring her to a noble banquet?
Henry didn't explain. Prejudice against orc was deeply ingrained among the nobles, and a few words wouldn't change their mindset.
"Please, Lord Henry, take a seat. The banquet is about to begin." The Lord of Hyratos gestured.
"I'm looking forward to it." Henry said with a fake smile.
Henry sat at one end of the long table, with Mila beside him and the noble ladies and gentlemen on either side of the Lord of Hyratos.
Indeed, the nobles always had many descendants. The Lord of Hyratos had four concubines present, as well as seven or eight children. Henry estimated that there were some other children who were not given much attention, like Brandon's family.
There was a dispute when arranging the seating. Several noble girls were vying for a place closer to Henry. If it weren't for the Lord of Hyratos' intervention, they might have started arguing.
"Don't mind my daughters." the Lord of Hyratos said with a forced smile, praising Henry. "It's not their fault. Lord Henry is truly admirable."
Henry forced a smile. Being too outstanding was also a kind of trouble.
Mila had already drawn her dagger under the table, the tip of the blade embedded in the bottom of the table. The way these young ladies looked at Henry made it seem as if they wanted to have his babies.
No way! Even if Henry didn't marry her, he couldn't marry these shameless girls. He had to marry a duke's daughter or a princess to be worthy of him.
Henry was unaware of Mila's thoughts. He maintained a polite smile and conversed with the Lord of Hyratos, mostly thanking him for sending troops to support Hyratos.
Finally, the dishes arrived, and the banquet officially began. Platters of meat were brought out, along with some cooked fruits and vegetables.
Yes, it might seem strange, but the fruits were cooked. The witch doctors of this era believed that fruits were cold in nature and should be heated before consumption for better health.
Moreover, fruits were only affordable for the nobility. Eldoria was relatively better off because it was closer to the Azure Peak Range, where wild fruits could be picked, making them cheaper.
But in inland cities, fruits were considered a luxury, especially in winter when they were more expensive than meat.
Henry looked at the dishes in front of him, but he had no appetite. The pale, salty-cooked meat, which was the flesh of various wild beasts, emitted a strong smell.
He felt that attending the banquet was a mistake. He would have been better off eating some bread with Tess on the ship.
"Lord Henry, please enjoy." the Lord of Hyratos said, raising his glass of oat wine as a toast.
"Cheers!" Henry responded, also raising his glass and taking a sip.
It was customary to finish the first toast at a noble banquet rather than just taking a sip, as it would be considered disrespectful to the host, implying that you didn't find their food to your liking.
"Henry?"
Mila stared at Henry with her blue eyes. What was going on? Henry actually drank the oat wine without changing his expression. Didn't he dislike this sour oat wine?
Did he really drink it? Henry wasn't that foolish. He transferred the oat wine to his inner space before it even entered his mouth.
"Good! You are so straightforward." The Lord of Hyratos praised. "Eating the meat, please."
"Sure!" Henry held the knife, cut a piece of meat, and put it on his plate, then elegantly took a few bites.
As for whether it went into his stomach, he made sure it didn't. He didn't want to upset his stomach tonight, so everything went into his inner space.
Mila watched Henry eating in a daze. Where was the picky and high-taste Henry? How could he eat these things? Were they really delicious?
After putting a piece of meat in her mouth, Mila's furrowed brows could have crushed a fly. It was too salty and tasted terrible.
"Lord, please try the dish I brought." Henry said, seeing Mila struggling to swallow the meat, quickly finding an excuse to eat his own dish.
"Okay." The Lord of Hyratos swallowed a piece of meat, his mouth full of oil, and said, "I am also looking forward to the delicacies that Lord Henry has prepared."
